Though participation numbers are rising, government funding for football has remained notably behind other major sports in the country.

A report by The Daily Telegraph earlier this week uncovered that football receives just $37 of government funding per participant while each rugby participant gets $113, NRL $110, AFL $109 and cricket $55.

FFA CEO David Gallop stressing more funding is needed to ensure the round ball game can continue to grow in Australia.

“We are calling on government to join with us to deliver improved facilities and programs which can help improve participation even further, drive gender equality, integrate new communities and deliver strong preventative health outcomes," Gallop said.

New South Wales currently leads the way for football participation in Australia with 939,897 people from the state involved in the game.